Ranton is a small hamlet in
Staffordshire, England, situated west of
Stafford, east of
Woodseaves and northeast of
Gnosall
Gnosall is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, with a population of 4,736 across 2,048 households (2011 census). It lies on the A518, approximately halfway between the towns of Newport (in Shropshir ...
. The population taken at the
2011 census was 382.
As of 2013, both public houses that once operated in Ranton were bought and subsequently removed from operation. Due to this, Ranton is now listed as a hamlet.
History
Ranton is listed under the
Pirehill Hundred
Pirehill is a hundred in the county of Staffordshire, England. The Hundred is located in the north-west and toward the upper centre of Staffordshire. It is about 28 miles in length, north to south, and around 8 to 20 miles in breadth. It is bound ...
section of the Doomsday Book. There is debate as to how the name Ranton was spelt prior to the 18th Century, possibilities include 'Ronton', 'Rantone' (as named in the Doomsday Book in 1086) and 'Rantun' (rarely used).
All Saints church, Ranton
All Saints church, Ranton, is a small ancient structure, dating from the 13th century.
The building was renovated in 1753, when the chancel was built. The east window was probably put in at this time. The bell turret was removed in 1889, but was re-erected in the 1940s in memory of Frank Russell and John Owen Timms, two local men who lost their lives in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. The new turret was not strong enough to support the bells, which had to be removed and put onto storage until the turret was rebuilt. The church has a small bell-tower at the west end of the nave with two bells, and was repaired and a gallery erected in 1840. The restoration was supervised by
Staffordshire ecclesiastical architect Andrew Capper. The parish registers commence in 1655. The original registers for the period 1655-1993 (Baptisms), 1655-1984 (Marriages) & 1655-1993 (Burials) are deposited at
Staffordshire Record Office
Staffordshire Record Office is the county record office for Staffordshire, England. It is run by Staffordshire County Council, and is located in Eastgate Street, Stafford, behind the William Salt Library. Some records are held at the service's off ...
. Bishops Transcripts, 1660-1868 (with gaps 1840-1854) are deposited at
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...
Record office.
''Ranton''
/ref>
The ruins of both Ranton Abbey
Ranton Abbey or Ranton Priory was an Augustinian Priory in Ranton, Staffordshire, England, built c.1150 by Robert fitz Noel of Ellenhall. The priory flourished in the 13th century as a subordinate house to Haughmond Abbey (near Shrewsbury). Ran ...
and Abbey House stand nearby.
See also
* Listed buildings in Ranton, Staffordshire
Ranton is a civil parish in the Borough of Stafford, Staffordshire, England. It contains four listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official dat ...
* Ranton Green
Ranton Green is a small village in Staffordshire about a mile southwest of Ranton, Staffordshire and a mile northeast of Gnosall. It consists of a few cottages and farms, but no shops or church. The local public house
A pub (short fo ...
References
External links
Picture of Ranton Abbey Tower and Abbey House viewed from the southPhotograph of Abbey House from the south, c.1912, in its heyday, with Abbey visible to left
{{Civil Parishes of Stafford
Borough of Stafford
Hamlets in Staffordshire